Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what legal advice the Government has received on the compatibility of the proposed UK-Mauritius agreement with the 1966 UK-US Exchange of Notes concerning the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

I refer the Hon Member to the debate on 26 January 2026 in which the former Minister for the Overseas Territories told the House that the 1966 UK-US Exchange of Notes would need to be updated before the UK-Mauritius Agreement could be ratified.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the existing evidence base on gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As set out in the Land Use Framework and the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, this Government committed to strengthening the evidence base on gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England.

Defra’s Gamebird rapid evidence review was published in 2020 and is available here. Further research into these findings was published in 2025 and available here. A Call for Evidence, launched on 4 September will gather any further information and evidence on the potential environmental impacts of gamebird release, including native biodiversity and to improve our understanding of both the positive and negative impacts associated with these activities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of releasing reared gamebirds on native biodiversity.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As set out in the Land Use Framework and the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, this Government committed to strengthening the evidence base on gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England.

Defra’s Gamebird rapid evidence review was published in 2020 and is available here. Further research into these findings was published in 2025 and available here. A Call for Evidence, launched on 4 September will gather any further information and evidence on the potential environmental impacts of gamebird release, including native biodiversity and to improve our understanding of both the positive and negative impacts associated with these activities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish all consultation responses relating to Lancashire local government reorganisation, subject to data protection requirements.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement of 7 September 2026. The Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity in the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

The Government has published a summary of consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what alternative options for local government structures in Lancashire were considered before reaching the decision to merge Fylde Borough Council and Wyre Borough Council with Blackpool Council.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement of 7 September 2026. The Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity in the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

The Government has published a summary of consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of redundancy costs arising from local government reorganisation in Lancashire.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement of 7 September 2026. The Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity in the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

The Government has published a summary of consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many responses relating to Lancashire were received during consultation on local government reorganisation.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement of 7 September 2026. The Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity in the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

The Government has published a summary of consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the evidential was for reorganising local government in Lancashire into four unitary authorities.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement of 7 September 2026. The Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity in the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

The Government has published a summary of consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed reorganisation on democratic accountability in Lancashire.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement of 7 September 2026. The Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity in the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

The Government has published a summary of consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department will provide towards the implementation costs of local government reorganisation in Lancashire.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement of 7 September 2026. The Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity in the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

The Government has published a summary of consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the cost of implementing local government reorganisation in Lancashire.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement of 7 September 2026. The Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity in the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

The Government has published a summary of consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make an estimate of the number of hours spent (a) responding to and (b) preparing for Westminster Hall Debates by (i) government ministers, (ii) civil servants and (iii) special advisers in his Department for each parliamentary session for which the information is available.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

It is not possible to provide an estimate for hours spent preparing Ministers to respond to Westminster Hall Debates. There will be differences in the Civil Service, Special Adviser and Ministerial time depending on the policy matter and length of the debate. Debates can also be cross-cutting and require resources from multiple departments or engage departmental bodies.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing youth unemployment on UK productivity and economic growth.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Getting young people into work is vital for driving growth in every postcode. Higher youth participation helps expand the workforce, reduce the risk of long-term detachment from the labour market and unlock economic potential across the country.

The Government acknowledges that there are significant challenges facing young people in the world of work. These challenges have been building for some time, with the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) rising by over 100,000 in the last five years of the previous Government. We have also seen a growing challenge from ill health.

That is why the Government is investing £2.5 billion over the next three years in the Youth Guarantee and Growth and Skills Levy, supporting almost one million young people and creating up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. Alongside this, Alan Milburn's independent review is examining the drivers of rising youth inactivity and identifying potential areas for reform. The Government will consider the review's recommendations carefully when it is published in the autumn.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reimbursing community pharmacies for business rates through NHS funding, in line with arrangements applying to GP and dental practices.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In relation to Question 27602, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 June to Question 5831, and relation to Question 27603 I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 June to Question 6747.

No comparative assessment has been made of the number of community pharmacies between Fylde and other areas. Latest data shows there were 22 community pharmacies in Fylde as of March 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the financial sustainability of community pharmacies under the 2026-27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In relation to Question 27602, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 June to Question 5831, and relation to Question 27603 I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 June to Question 6747.

No comparative assessment has been made of the number of community pharmacies between Fylde and other areas. Latest data shows there were 22 community pharmacies in Fylde as of March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's recruitment and retention targets are for each of the three Services for 2026/27.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

The 2026-27 Single Service recruitment targets for Regular and Reserve (Officer and Other ranks) are detailed below:

The Naval Service (inclusive of the Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary) total Recruitment Targets for all streams for Recruiting Year 2026-27, ending 31 March 2027 is 4,630 (rounded).

The total Army Recruitment Targets for Recruiting Year 2026-27, for all streams is 14,410 (rounded).

The total Royal Air Force Recruitment Targets for all streams for Recruiting Year 2026-27 is 4,730 (rounded).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government continues to use £3.4 billion as its headline estimate of the cost of the Chagos agreement.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

The value of payments under the UK-Mauritius Agreement were set out by the UK government at the time of signature and have not changed. No payments are due under the terms of the UK-Mauritius Agreement until it has been ratified. Full details of the proposed payments have already been published in the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the Treaty.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what digital devices are issued to Ministers as part of their roles; and who is responsible for keeping an inventory of devices.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As part of their roles, Ministers in the Cabinet Office are issued standard Official Windows or MacBook Laptops and a standard iPhone or Android Official device. In some circumstances a tablet device may also be requested. These devices are managed by the internal Cabinet Office Digital teams, who are also responsible for maintaining the assets & inventory of all end user issued devices.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which local authorities and combined authorities will receive additional powers and resources under the measures announced in his written statement of 7 September 2026.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local and combined authorities are central to the Government’s ambitions for economic growth, public service reform and stronger communities.

As we set out in the Government’s Rewiring the State Cabinet Statement (here), we are committed to shifting power and resources from central government to local leaders and communities across the whole country, including through ensuring that powers, functions and resources are exercised at the level most appropriate to achieving better outcomes for people and places.

The Government is committed to increasing the proportion of business rates retained by local government.

We will set out further detail on our approach to devolution and the distribution of responsibilities and resources across different levels of government in a forthcoming White Paper.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department will publish the number of participants who (a) commence, (b) complete and (c) subsequently obtain paid employment following an Opening Shift placement.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced an ambition to create 100,000 new jobs in the retail sector for young people by 2029, supporting more young people to take their first step into work. This is a significant commitment from one of the UK's largest employment sectors and an important contribution towards the Government's ambition that every young person has the opportunity to build the skills, experience and connections needed to move into work.

As part of this ambition, BRC is launching 'Opening Shift' a new joint DWP and BRC work experience programme for 18–24 year old jobseekers. ‘Opening Shift’ will provide retail work experience, workplace support and interview experience, helping young people to build skills, confidence and experience employers are looking for.

The commitment complements the Government's Youth Guarantee, which is backed by £2.5 billion of additional investment and will ensure young people can access the support, training, work experience and opportunities they need to move into employment, education or training. ‘Opening Shift’ will play an important role in helping deliver the Youth Guarantee's commitment to provide 150,000 work experience opportunities by 2029.

BRC represents a wide range of retail employers across the UK, and young people across the country will benefit from opportunities created through this partnership. The opportunities available in individual areas will depend on participating employers' business needs and local presence.

Work Experience is available to all claimants throughout their claim. Young jobseekers will be offered a work experience placement as part of their Youth Guarantee Journey which may include referrals to Opening Shift opportunities, where these are available and appropriate for the individual.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the 100,000 jobs for young people by the end of the Parliament are expected to be (a) new jobs, (b) existing vacancies, (c) temporary jobs and (d) permanent jobs.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced an ambition to create 100,000 new jobs in the retail sector for young people by 2029, supporting more young people to take their first step into work. This is a significant commitment from one of the UK's largest employment sectors and an important contribution towards the Government's ambition that every young person has the opportunity to build the skills, experience and connections needed to move into work.

As part of this ambition, BRC is launching 'Opening Shift' a new joint DWP and BRC work experience programme for 18–24 year old jobseekers. ‘Opening Shift’ will provide retail work experience, workplace support and interview experience, helping young people to build skills, confidence and experience employers are looking for.

The commitment complements the Government's Youth Guarantee, which is backed by £2.5 billion of additional investment and will ensure young people can access the support, training, work experience and opportunities they need to move into employment, education or training. ‘Opening Shift’ will play an important role in helping deliver the Youth Guarantee's commitment to provide 150,000 work experience opportunities by 2029.

BRC represents a wide range of retail employers across the UK, and young people across the country will benefit from opportunities created through this partnership. The opportunities available in individual areas will depend on participating employers' business needs and local presence.

Work Experience is available to all claimants throughout their claim. Young jobseekers will be offered a work experience placement as part of their Youth Guarantee Journey which may include referrals to Opening Shift opportunities, where these are available and appropriate for the individual.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young people on Universal Credit in Fylde constituency will be eligible for referral to Opening Shift.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced an ambition to create 100,000 new jobs in the retail sector for young people by 2029, supporting more young people to take their first step into work. This is a significant commitment from one of the UK's largest employment sectors and an important contribution towards the Government's ambition that every young person has the opportunity to build the skills, experience and connections needed to move into work.

As part of this ambition, BRC is launching 'Opening Shift' a new joint DWP and BRC work experience programme for 18–24 year old jobseekers. ‘Opening Shift’ will provide retail work experience, workplace support and interview experience, helping young people to build skills, confidence and experience employers are looking for.

The commitment complements the Government's Youth Guarantee, which is backed by £2.5 billion of additional investment and will ensure young people can access the support, training, work experience and opportunities they need to move into employment, education or training. ‘Opening Shift’ will play an important role in helping deliver the Youth Guarantee's commitment to provide 150,000 work experience opportunities by 2029.

BRC represents a wide range of retail employers across the UK, and young people across the country will benefit from opportunities created through this partnership. The opportunities available in individual areas will depend on participating employers' business needs and local presence.

Work Experience is available to all claimants throughout their claim. Young jobseekers will be offered a work experience placement as part of their Youth Guarantee Journey which may include referrals to Opening Shift opportunities, where these are available and appropriate for the individual.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish a breakdown of Opening Shift placements by retailer, region and constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced an ambition to create 100,000 new jobs in the retail sector for young people by 2029, supporting more young people to take their first step into work. This is a significant commitment from one of the UK's largest employment sectors and an important contribution towards the Government's ambition that every young person has the opportunity to build the skills, experience and connections needed to move into work.

As part of this ambition, BRC is launching 'Opening Shift' a new joint DWP and BRC work experience programme for 18–24 year old jobseekers. ‘Opening Shift’ will provide retail work experience, workplace support and interview experience, helping young people to build skills, confidence and experience employers are looking for.

The commitment complements the Government's Youth Guarantee, which is backed by £2.5 billion of additional investment and will ensure young people can access the support, training, work experience and opportunities they need to move into employment, education or training. ‘Opening Shift’ will play an important role in helping deliver the Youth Guarantee's commitment to provide 150,000 work experience opportunities by 2029.

BRC represents a wide range of retail employers across the UK, and young people across the country will benefit from opportunities created through this partnership. The opportunities available in individual areas will depend on participating employers' business needs and local presence.

Work Experience is available to all claimants throughout their claim. Young jobseekers will be offered a work experience placement as part of their Youth Guarantee Journey which may include referrals to Opening Shift opportunities, where these are available and appropriate for the individual.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of hours spent (a) responding to and (b) preparing for Westminster Hall Debates by (i) government ministers, (ii) civil servants and (iii) special advisers in her Department for each parliamentary session for which the information is available.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 16 July 2026 to Question 17477.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Direct Deduction Orders have been issues since the introduction of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error, and Recovery) Act 2025 achieved Royal Assent on Tuesday 2 December 2025. The Act will help to address the significant challenge of public sector fraud and error, which costs the taxpayer billions of pounds annually.

The different measures contained in the Act are due to come into force across different dates between 2026 and 2029.

Whilst the Debt measures contained in the Act commenced in June 2026, the supporting regulations which will further develop the operational framework for the new recovery powers introduced in the Act will not come into force until October. As a result, to date, no direct deduction orders have been issued.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to written statement HCWS171 published on 1 July 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of requiring schools to absorb approximately 1% of pay costs on school budgets.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is providing schools with £700 million in additional funding in the2026/27 financial year and £1,115 million in 2027/28 to support them with overall costs, including the costs of teacher and support staff pay awards. This means the core schools budget will increase by £2.3 billion in 2026/27, totalling £67.6 billion, compared to £65.3 billion in 2025/26.

We set out in the government's evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body last autumn that All schools are expected to continue to secure better value from existing budgets, alongside the additional funding provided by government, to help support pay awards.

We recognise that for many schools the teachers’ pay award will mean reprioritising some of their budget to go towards new pay costs. This is in line with asks to the rest of the public sector to drive better value from existing budgets to help rebuild public services.

Schools are accustomed to managing their resources responsibly, and they are not alone in their efforts to do this. We established the ‘Maximising value for pupils’ programme in December 2025, using the collective buying power of 22,000 schools to help every school get more from every pound, so that money reaches the classroom where it matters most. From reducing energy and supply staff costs, to helping schools unlock better returns through our banking comparison tool, to giving leaders sharper benchmarking tools, we are addressing real opportunities across the system.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the fitness for purpose of the National Air Traffic Services.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the impact of the significant disruption to passengers and aviation operations caused by the technical issue affecting NATS' flight processing systems on 8 September 2026. The Government is also grateful to employees at NATS who acted quickly to manage traffic safely while the issue was investigated and resolved.

Air traffic control services are a vital part of the UK's national infrastructure, underpinning the safe and efficient movement of millions of passengers and supporting businesses, trade and connectivity across the country and internationally.

Serious air traffic control incidents of this scale are rare, but when they do occur have significant impacts for passengers. It is therefore essential that the causes of this disruption are understood by the Department and NATS so that any lessons are identified and changes implemented swiftly.

The Secretary of State has asked NATS to provide a report by Wednesday 16 September setting out the cause of the incident and the actions taken in response and has also asked the CAA to undertake a separate independent review of the incident, which will report within six months.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how long she expects the review of local government reorganisation to take.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government will consider the programme overall including the four withdrawn decisions from March, the further decisions taken in July, and the two areas where decisions have yet to be made. Surrey is not affected by this announcement as councillors have been elected to the new councils which will go live in April 2027.

We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the risk of wildfires in the North West.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra funding schemes are supporting landscape-scale action to help land managers adapt to increasing wildfire risk. This includes practical measures to reduce fire spread and severity, improve access and preparedness for firefighting, and strengthen resilience while also supporting nature and climate objectives.

The Government remains committed to rewetting peatlands and wetlands as one of the best ways to protect some of our most valuable landscapes from fire. Changing the way agricultural land is used and managed is an important part of wildfire resilience and can also deliver wider benefits for biodiversity, carbon storage and water regulation. The Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme provides funding to restore peatlands. A number of projects have been funded in the North West, these include projects with the Yorkshire Peat Partnership in Cumbria and the National Trust in Lancashire.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how the Approved Code for the home improvement sector will interact with the Competition and Markets Authority's principles for trader recommendation platforms.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO) will deliver an Approved Code that traders can sign up to. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) will provide oversight of the Approved Code. The Approved Code will have built-in Alternative Dispute Resolution for consumer redress.

Trusted Payments was developed in collaboration with the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman (DRO), who have business links to FHIO, to provide a service that traders and consumers can use to ensure money is held safely in escrow while work is completed.

Government supported the launch as it improves consumer choice and protection in a key sector where detriment levels are consistently high. The Government will monitor the success of the scheme, including take-up and the number of disputes resolved.

The FHIO worked with industry during development, and the announcement was welcomed by a range of bodies, including the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Citizens Advice and Which?.

Trader recommendation platforms are not directly affected, but the Government expects them to play their part in keeping rogue builders out of the market.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, which organisations his Department consulted before announcing the Approved Code for the home improvement sector.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO) will deliver an Approved Code that traders can sign up to. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) will provide oversight of the Approved Code. The Approved Code will have built-in Alternative Dispute Resolution for consumer redress.

Trusted Payments was developed in collaboration with the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman (DRO), who have business links to FHIO, to provide a service that traders and consumers can use to ensure money is held safely in escrow while work is completed.

Government supported the launch as it improves consumer choice and protection in a key sector where detriment levels are consistently high. The Government will monitor the success of the scheme, including take-up and the number of disputes resolved.

The FHIO worked with industry during development, and the announcement was welcomed by a range of bodies, including the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Citizens Advice and Which?.

Trader recommendation platforms are not directly affected, but the Government expects them to play their part in keeping rogue builders out of the market.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what metrics his Department will use to evaluate the success of the Approved Code.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO) will deliver an Approved Code that traders can sign up to. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) will provide oversight of the Approved Code. The Approved Code will have built-in Alternative Dispute Resolution for consumer redress.

Trusted Payments was developed in collaboration with the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman (DRO), who have business links to FHIO, to provide a service that traders and consumers can use to ensure money is held safely in escrow while work is completed.

Government supported the launch as it improves consumer choice and protection in a key sector where detriment levels are consistently high. The Government will monitor the success of the scheme, including take-up and the number of disputes resolved.

The FHIO worked with industry during development, and the announcement was welcomed by a range of bodies, including the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Citizens Advice and Which?.

Trader recommendation platforms are not directly affected, but the Government expects them to play their part in keeping rogue builders out of the market.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if he will outline the process for selecting the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman and Trusted Payments as delivery partners for the Approved Code and Trusted Payments schemes announced on 28 August 2026.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO) will deliver an Approved Code that traders can sign up to. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) will provide oversight of the Approved Code. The Approved Code will have built-in Alternative Dispute Resolution for consumer redress.

Trusted Payments was developed in collaboration with the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman (DRO), who have business links to FHIO, to provide a service that traders and consumers can use to ensure money is held safely in escrow while work is completed.

Government supported the launch as it improves consumer choice and protection in a key sector where detriment levels are consistently high. The Government will monitor the success of the scheme, including take-up and the number of disputes resolved.

The FHIO worked with industry during development, and the announcement was welcomed by a range of bodies, including the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Citizens Advice and Which?.

Trader recommendation platforms are not directly affected, but the Government expects them to play their part in keeping rogue builders out of the market.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it her policy to make it illegal to vape in pubs and hospitality venues.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Members to the Government's consultations, and accompanying consultation stage impact assessments, on smoke-free, heated tobacco-free, and vape-free places, and on the packaging, device appearance, and display of tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. The Government will carefully consider the responses before taking decisions on future regulations.

I refer the Hon. Members to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill House of Lords debate on 24 February 2026 in relation to filters. Evidence is still developing and there are no current plans to consult on plain packaging and promotions restrictions. No assessment has been taken on filters being used to circumvent the current flavours ban.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Driving Licence Disqualifications his Department has applied for against debtors refusing to repay funds despite having the means since the passage of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error, and Recovery) Act 2025 achieved Royal Assent on Tuesday 2 December 2025. The Act will help to address the significant challenge of public sector fraud and error, which costs the taxpayer billions of pounds annually.

The different measures contained in the Act are due to come into force across different dates between 2026 and 2029.

Whilst the Debt measures contained in the Act commenced in June 2026, the supporting regulations which will further develop the operational framework for the new recovery powers introduced in the Act will not come into force until October. As a result, to date, no driving licence disqualifications have yet been issued.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate she has made of the additional cost to the public purse arising from the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan since February 2026, broken down by (a) additional civil servants deployed, (b) external advisers, (c) contractors and (d) other costs.

Answered by Sally Jameson - Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Cabinet Office awarded Capita the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme in November 2023 under the previous government. The current delays facing scheme members are entirely unacceptable, and this Government has taken firm action to resolve them through a clear recovery plan with strict delivery milestones.

Capita has systematically defaulted on its major operational recovery commitments. They failed to meet critical transition milestones, including the end of April 2026 target to clear inherited payment arrears, the end of May 2026 milestone to bring approximately 2,200 sensitive divorce cases within contractual service levels, and the critical milestone of a complete return to standard contractual service levels by the end of June 2026.

Capita submitted a formal Rectification Plan in July 2026, and the Remedial Advisor Grant Thornton was appointed shortly thereafter at Capita’s expense. Their work will assist the Cabinet Office to test the validity and deliverability of the Plan, and to conduct a technical systems review. We expect to receive this audit information in early October, which will inform the Government's decision on next steps by mid-to-late October.

Further commercial, legal, and operational options remain on the table during the consideration of long-term structural delivery options.

On additional costs, regarding a) additional civil servants deployed, total projected Cabinet Office Pensions Recovery Taskforce and surge support operational costs up to the end of Financial Year 2026-27 stand at £12.5 million.

Costs relating to (b) external advisers, (c) contractors and (d) other costs, are subject to a formal commercial reconciliation exercise that is actively underway to recover Government surge team costs directly from Capita, and the Government has already withheld £9.9 million in contract payments for undelivered milestones.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment she has made of the performance of Capita against each of the milestones contained in the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan since February 2026; and what proportion of those milestones have been met on time.

Answered by Sally Jameson - Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Cabinet Office awarded Capita the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme in November 2023 under the previous government. The current delays facing scheme members are entirely unacceptable, and this Government has taken firm action to resolve them through a clear recovery plan with strict delivery milestones.

Capita has systematically defaulted on its major operational recovery commitments. They failed to meet critical transition milestones, including the end of April 2026 target to clear inherited payment arrears, the end of May 2026 milestone to bring approximately 2,200 sensitive divorce cases within contractual service levels, and the critical milestone of a complete return to standard contractual service levels by the end of June 2026.

Capita submitted a formal Rectification Plan in July 2026, and the Remedial Advisor Grant Thornton was appointed shortly thereafter at Capita’s expense. Their work will assist the Cabinet Office to test the validity and deliverability of the Plan, and to conduct a technical systems review. We expect to receive this audit information in early October, which will inform the Government's decision on next steps by mid-to-late October.

Further commercial, legal, and operational options remain on the table during the consideration of long-term structural delivery options.

On additional costs, regarding a) additional civil servants deployed, total projected Cabinet Office Pensions Recovery Taskforce and surge support operational costs up to the end of Financial Year 2026-27 stand at £12.5 million.

Costs relating to (b) external advisers, (c) contractors and (d) other costs, are subject to a formal commercial reconciliation exercise that is actively underway to recover Government surge team costs directly from Capita, and the Government has already withheld £9.9 million in contract payments for undelivered milestones.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which government Department will be responsible for managing the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA).

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Prime Minister announced a series of changes to the Machinery of Government on 21 July. This included the Public Sector Fraud Authority’s (PSFA) transfer to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - whilst retaining its sponsorship by HM Treasury.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what role does the Cabinet Office play in deciding whether the Emergency Alerts system should be used during periods of extreme heat.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office develops Emergency Alerts in collaboration with local responders and emergency services. Every Alert is carefully coordinated with responding public bodies and each request is evaluated by the Cabinet Office on a rigorous, case-by-case basis to ensure it is necessary for public safety.

All Emergency Alerts must meet the criteria for use and since the launch of the capability in April 2023, the Cabinet Office has authorised seven live activations, six of which were related to extreme weather.

The Government remains ready to deploy the capability at short-notice in response to risks that pose a danger to life, including but not limited to flooding, severe weather and wildfires.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what representations her Department has made to FIFA about the Argentine banner display following the 2026 World Cup semi-final match with England.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recognises the strength of feeling following the 2026 World Cup semi-final match, including in regard to the banner referencing the Falkland Islands. The behaviour of members of the Argentine team on that occasion was unfortunate and disappointing. The UK's position on the Falkland Islands is unwavering. The Islands are British and will remain so. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.

Disciplinary matters arising from FIFA competitions are for FIFA to consider and we welcome the sanctions imposed by FIFA in relation to this incident on the Argentinian Football Association.